Adventures in the Future
by JustAWhatsIt
Summary: When Piper and Alex are suddenly thrown into the Future, will they be tempted to look themselves up? Will they be happy with what they find? Fun and adventures ensue as the two find themselves roaming a different world with two others at their side... Time travel and adventure... Rating may change in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this idea was offered by an anon on tumblr who so kindly gave me the prompt and I've just decided to run with it. However, the idea's floating in my brain are far, far, far too much to put into one chapter so here we have it. I'm not sure how many chapters that there will be, but it could get long... Don't hate me for that. As always, I do not own these characters nor the original story, I just adore them and their lives. I haven't written anything for OITNB in AGES, but I used to write a lot back in the day - just nothing got published. Hopefully I do it some kinda justice.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _The ground slipped away, spinning into nothing as the darkness swept in; enveloping them, throwing them into oblivion. A thunder roared as the wind picked up; spinning them, thrashing them through the air; the world as they know it shattering around them._

With a thud the ground was back, winding them as their bodies slammed onto the cold concrete. The darkness began to fade into a soft grey and then brightness took over, flooding their sight as both opened their eyes slowly, trying to make sense of what just happened. For a moment everything was calm. The air, although difficult to breath was still and the only sound that could be heard was the passing of cars outside their window.

"What the hell?" Alex questioned, pushing herself up to a sitting position using both of her hands. "What just happened?"

Piper was already making her way onto her feet, her body shaking as she reached for Alex with an outstretched hand in order to help her up. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice shaking as she blew out a breath. "Did we get attacked?"

The dark haired woman glanced to Piper, one hand reaching to push the glasses upon her face back into position. Breaking from the spot she was standing, Alex moved over towards the window, glancing outside; expecting to see some devastation and crumbled buildings. Instead, she saw sunlight and people playing happily in the streets below.

"I don't think so," she answered Piper's question while still searching for something to justify what they'd experienced outside the window. "I mean, if we'd been attacked you'd expect to see smoke and shit, right? Some people running and some screaming, or something."

Piper wandered over, standing beside her girlfriend at the window while reaching for the latch to pull it open.

"No, don't do that!" Alex grabbed her hand. "What if it was some kind of gas bomb?"

The blonde haired woman's head tilted to the side as her hand fell back down, a gentle laugh falling from her lips, her head shaking. "Al, if we'd just been bombed, I don't think all those kids would be playing ring-a-round-the-roses down there, do you?" Her brow rose in question and Alex shook her head.

"I don't know…I suppose not." Alex answered, still searching for her answer outside the window. "Did we get caught in some kind of mental weather thing?"

"Mental weather thing?" Piper repeated. "Like some kind of inside windstorm?" Piper scoffed, as she spun on her feet, scanning the room around them. "An inside hurricane that only affects one tiny little room?"

"There's no need to be snarky, Piper." Alex huffed as she turned to Piper, adjusting the glasses upon her face once more, this time giving up and shoving them on top of her head. "I was just trying to work out what happened."

Piper moved back towards the sun-filled window, a puzzled look crossing her features. "Wasn't it pouring down with rain a minute ago?" Reaching for the latch once more, she undone the lock and pulled the window open. The sounds of the kids playing in the street filled the room and the birds singing in the trees echoed off the walls. "Like, flooding the streets pouring?"

They each peered back out the window, staring at the dry ground with no sign that it had been raining. Piper glanced towards Alex whose hair was soaked as if she'd just stepped out of the shower. Her clothes were dripping wet; a white tank top clinging to her body allowing a sneak peak of the black bra beneath and her jeans a darker than normal black kind of look to them.

"Something's up," Piper whispered as she tried to think of what they were doing before the darkness took over. "It was raining, we were out getting coffee…" She glanced to the side table where two coffees sat, the steam rising from them made it evident that they were fresh.

Alex watched as Piper tried to make sense of the moment, sitting down on the windowsill, a cool breeze from the window hitting her back.

* * *

"Come on, tell me," The blonde almost begged, pulling her coffee cup to her lips, the warm liquid passing onto her tongue, warming her from the inside.

"Sorry, I can't do that. If I did, I'd have to kill you," Alex chuckled, her brows rising suggestively.

"So, you can't tell me where we're going, but you can show me when we get there?"

They were walking along the street, hand in hand and each holding onto a coffee with the other. Above them, the clouds were rolling in, a typical early winters morning in New York City. They'd arrived back a few days previous, booked into a hotel and spent their days wandering around to kill some time before Alex's next job arose - which did so this morning. They'd be leaving the city once more and traveling somewhere new, but Piper had no clue where. All she wanted was somewhere warm before the winter fully set in.

"Exactly," Alex grinned, tugging the blonde along the street in the direction of their hotel. "You'll like it, though. I promise."

Piper sighed, taking another sip of her coffee, careful not to spill as they wandered along, dodging crowds of people on the street, Piper couldn't help but lean into Alex who in turn wrapped an arm around Piper's waist, holding her close. Piper loved afternoons like this where Alex didn't have anything to do workwise and they could spend the entire day doing whatever they wanted rather that having to answer to the Cartel that pretty much ruled Alex's life. Of course, that was coming to an end, but Piper could enjoy today at least.

Peering at Alex through thick eyelashes, Piper smiled and whispered "You really can't tell me? Is it at least somewhere we've never been together, yet?" She sucked her lip between her teeth, batted those thick eyelashes and flashed the sweetest smile she could muster up. Alex just looked towards her, shook her head and then pressed one lingering kiss against Piper's forehead.

"Top Secret, kid," Alex smirked, holding the blonde close as they walked.

"You're evil, Vause,' Piper jested, settling into the movement as they neared the hotel.

When the sign with the name emblazoned on it was just in view, the clouds opened. One drop landed upon Piper's forehead and then as if the sky was falling they were drenched. It all happened in a split second but they both laughed and their walk broke out into a run as they made their way towards the lobby, the doorman holding the front door open for them.

Both women thanked the gentleman before making their way towards the elevator. Alex hit the button to take them up and Piper stood back, her eyes musing at Alex in her drenched clothes.

"My god, that wet t-shirt suits you, Al," she smiled, stepping onto the elevator before Alex and turning to face her.

"You think?" Alex asked as she stepped on next, turning to hit the floor number.

The doors to the elevator closed just before anyone else could step on and within a second Alex had turned to face Piper and pushed her up against the cold mirror on the back wall, their lips moving together in a playful yet hungry dance as each attempted to hold onto their coffees without spilling.

Eventually, the door pinged open, however, too consumed with the kiss, Piper had to be the one who pointed out the open door to Alex with a gentle laugh.

"Alex," she moaned into the kiss, considering the people standing in the hallway. "Alex, that's us here."

One old lady coughed as they stepped off the elevator. giving them a stare and both women just laughed before making their way towards the room. Once inside, each placed their coffee on the side table and Alex noticed a small coin lying on the floor. She bent to pick it up and before they knew it, the darkness had taken over.

* * *

They both went over the story twice more as they paced the small room. Everything looked the same, except the weather outside, but the small coin was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe it gave you some kind of shock that made us both fall and feel like that?" Piper offered as an explanation, not really believing it herself. "I'm sure I touched you as you picked it up."

Alex shrugged off the offer, crossing the room towards the bed and fell flat onto the mattress, her face sinking into feather filled duvet.

"Maybe we're going crazy and both just need more sleep. You kept me up all night last night with your moaning."

"Hey, you're the one who caused the moaning, Alex. Don't blame that on me." Piper laughed as she wandered over to her girlfriend, the back of her hand smacking off Alex's behind before she sat down on the bed.

"I can't help it if I'm just that good." Alex rolled onto her side, her eyes glancing to the side table as she did so.

"What the fuck?" Alex coughed and suddenly she was on her feet, reaching over towards the table.

Startled by Alex's movements, Piper followed, standing beside her, her eyes following Alex's every movement.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

The dark-haired woman had reached for the clock by their bed, the time reading as she'd thought it would be but there was something wrong with the date.

"Someone's been in here and messed with this clock." She turned it around, showing Piper.

"June 2014?"

The women simply stared at each other, the clock still held high between them as they both tried to come up with an answer to who would mess with them, and who would do so by changing a date. What possibly could they do with changing a date?

After a moment, Piper spun around on her heels, running to the desk by the door and grabbed the newspaper that was sitting there. In the corner, the date read exactly as the date on the clock. Tossing the newspaper towards Alex, Piper cocked her brow.

"Alex, I don't think we're in 2003 anymore…"

* * *

 **Hopefully, that makes sense, and if it doesn't, let me know. I'll answer any questions. There** is **tons to come, with lots of twists and turns but I'll try to make it as exciting as I can.**

 **As always, please let me know if you enjoy it, and leave some feedback.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **K**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter to get the story into the swing of it. Hopefully the next chapter will have them starting to get into the fun stuff!**

 **I'm glad so many of you are enjoying the idea, and once again thank you to the anon who provided the prompt which has set who whole thing in motion. I've still got tons of idea's to play with, so enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh, alright, Dorothy," Alex quipped, her eyes rolling as she tossed the alarm clock, which was still held tight in her fist, onto the bed. "What exactly do you mean by 'We're not in 2003 anymore?'" She mimicked Piper's voice, adding an edge of teasing to it.

Piper shrugged her shoulders, her gaze wandering the room in search of more clues. "Exactly what it says, Alex. We both felt whatever happened there. We both agreed it had been pouring with rain and now…" Her words were cut short as she padded over the rustic wooden floor of their hotel room towards the window, pointing down into the street where everything in sight was dry. "I doesn't look like it's rained in a week, Alex."

"And somehow that means we've been transported in time?" She followed Piper over towards the window. Everything looked the same - or at least she thought it did. For the life of her, Alex couldn't pull an image of what the street looked like before the crazy indoor storm, but she'd bet it was exactly like this… only wetter.

Once more the blonde shrugged, still watching the kids running in the streets below them playing games and enjoying the summer weather. "You've seen the movies, haven't you?"

"Piper, we're not in a fucking movie, here. This is real life." Alex's voice was raised; Piper flinched at the sound so close to her ear, her arms rising to wrap around her body. She was scared, and although her educated mind swore that such a thing was impossible, she couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't in fact impossible.

"I know we're not in a movie, Alex," Piper's volume didn't quite match her girlfriends, but there was a scared tone looming at the back of her words. "But how exactly are you going to explain what happened? It's no winter out there, Alex. It's clearly Summer."

"And how are you going to explain how we ended up being thrown forward in time?"

"Like I'm some fucking scientist?" Piper snapped, shoving herself past Alex. She could feel the tears of anger well up in her eyes. It was like going through every single emotion all at once and she couldn't stop a single one. She didn't have a clue what had happened, or if it was possible, but she just knew something wasn't right.

"Pipes," Alex held out her hand. She could see the blonde was clearly struggling with her thoughts, but she herself couldn't quite make herself think for even a second that what Piper was saying could be true. "Come here."

Piper simply shook her head, turning in the opposite direction to face away from the dark-haired woman. The tears were beginning to well up in her eyes and one single tear betrayed her, slowly rolling down her cheek. Silence filled the room once more as Alex leaned back against the wall simply watching the blonde.

"Okay," Alex finally broke the silence as she pushed herself off the wall and made her way towards Piper. "Sitting in this room which looks exactly the same as...before isn't going to help." Standing behind Piper, Alex wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and pulled her body into her own. "How about we get out of here and go find out if what you...we think happened is true."

Silence again, punctuated by one soft sniffle from Piper before she nodded her answer, unable to speak for fear that she would completely break down on the spot.

"Alright then," Alex whispered, her chin resting on top of Piper's shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Wait," a panicked squeal broke the soft moment as Piper spun around. "Money. We don't have any money. How are we supposed to do anything."

Alex sighed, broke away from Piper and wandered towards the safe in the closet. If she was wrong here, the point would be proven within seconds and no adventuring would have to happen, but if she was wrong, she was going to have to eat every single word she'd said in the past half hour. Pulling open the closet, Alex hesitated for a moment before quickly punching in the code to the safe. The thick metal door popped open with the first try and lying inside were the two passports they'd put in there when they first arrived at the hotel and the small bag of money that Alex was supposed to be looking after for Kubra. Alex sighed once more as she reached for the bag, this time a sigh of relief.

Piper wandered up behind her. "That doesn't prove anything, you know?" She whispered the words in Alex's ear and almost as if she'd been trying to scare her girlfriend, Alex's body jolted, tossing the small bag of money up into the air.

"Oh, my god, Piper. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She choked.

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew I was behind you." The blonde laughed as she offered up an apologetic smile, her head tilting to the side the way she knew Alex loved; the way she knew how to get what she wanted.

"It's fine. I just didn't realise you were so close," she whispered, trying to catch her breath. "Are you ready to go? I don't think we'll need our jackets. It's pretty sunny outside."

Piper, defeated in that moment, simply stood there with her eyes narrowed and head shaking. "My god, do I hate you sometimes, Alex."

Alex simply smirked before grabbing the bag of money, not to sure now about leaving it in this room for the time being, tossed the strap over her shoulder and grabbed Piper by the hand. "Come on then," she grinned. "Let's see if we truly are in 2014."

They made their way out into the hallway; Alex in the lead with Piper following close by. Each movement they made was slow, careful as if they were expecting to see an alien lifeform staring at them from some massive black hole outside their room. Of course, there was not, but it did seem different. Alex narrowed her eyes, adjusting the black framed glasses upon her face.

"Piper?" The word was a whisper as Alex stopped in the middle of the hallways, staring down towards the elevator. "Piper, wasn't the wallpaper black?"

Alex turned, her brow lifting in question as Piper paused, looking around the small hall. Alex remembered the colour due to it being the exact decor she'd want in her guest bathroom when she finally settles down with a house. Shaking that crazy thought from her head, Alex spun back around towards the elevator once more as Piper shifted in closer to her girlfriend.

"Black and white. Now it's white and yellow. This isn't right, Alex."

"Shh, stay close. Come on, maybe we're remembering another hotel. We've stayed at about a million in the last three months alone."

Piper nodded, clinging to all hope that her worst thoughts weren't coming true. They couldn't be, right? Someone had just managed to make their way into their room, change the newspaper, clock and somehow make it completely dry outside. Perhaps they'd been drugged? She hadn't thought of that yet. Maybe someone in the coffee shop was in on the plan?

Each crazy thought spun around Piper's mind; twisting together, morphing into a spider's web of possible ideas. _Alex is right_ , she thought to herself. They were both simply remembering another hotel they'd stayed in recently. Right?

Taking each step slowly, probably looking highly suspicious to anyone who was to pull open their door, they finally reach the elevator and Alex reaches out, pressing the down arrow.

"Can I help you, ladies?" A voice came booming down the corridor just as the doors to the elevator pinged opened. Both women jumped which was punctuated by an earsplitting squeal coming from Piper who'd been more on edge than she thought.

"I, we... No, we're good, thanks." Answered Alex as she made to step into the elevator, pulling Piper in behind her. "We're just heading out for the day."

"Are you staying in the hotel?" He was a cheery man who smiled wide as he threw his hand in between the doors to stop them closing."

"We are, yes." Piper nodded, her eyes glued to the floor of the elevator, mentally counting the number of chewing gum marks squished in deep, purely so she didn't have to make eye contact with the gentleman, alerting him to how weird she was acting. If he didn't see her face, he'd never know. That was a fact and she was sticking to it.

"Well, for future reference, you're not supposed to be up here. This corridor is off limits while we renovate." He flashed a smile as his hand hovered over the buttons. "Lobby?"

Alex nodded; it was her turn to avoid contact with the worker as she glanced towards Piper, nudging her with an elbow. Piper glanced up, her gaze landing upon the man before quickly finding Alex.

"We're sorry. I think we just got turned around." She flashed her best smile, the smile that first drew in Piper and he shrugged, simply nodding to show he understands.

"It happens," he spoke softly, the fake voice hotel workers use to be kind to guests who are clearly annoying them was evident. He wasn't good at hiding his annoyance.

Choosing to ignore his tone, Alex continued asking questions. Who best to ask information from than someone who would know what year it was. Only, she had to be inconspicuous. "When are the renovations due to be finished?" She questioned, trying to make herself sound interested in the project.

"Next year," he answered, his hands held tight together in front of his body.

"Ah, cool," Alex nodded, rolling her eyes. She'd expected him to answer with a year, but she could work with it. "And, when did it all begin?"

"Two years ago. They were supposed to be finished last winter, but that didn't happen. We ran into a few problems" He shrugged, nodding his head as if Alex and Piper were just supposed to know the problems.

"These things happen, don't they?" Continued Alex. The hotel worker simply nodded his answer and before they knew it, the doors were opening and the bustling lobby was looming before them and they still weren't any wiser on what year they were currently in.

Sighing when they stepped out of the elevator, Piper turned to Alex and rolled her eyes. "You should definitely grow up to be a detective, Vause. You'd win awards."

"Shut up. I didn't hear you asking any questions," Alex snapped back, walking off in the direction of the front doors, leaving Piper standing where she was.

"What could I ask, Alex?" She rose her voice as she started to walk behind the dark-haired woman, trying to make herself heard. "What year are we in?" She rolled her eyes once more as she pushed past a tall man who stood on the spot staring at the rude blonde. Piper didn't notice him as she continued to follow Alex but from behind she could hear one number being called out behind her.

"Twenty-fourteen."

Both women paused on the spot and spun around, staring in the direction of the voice, their jaws dropping almost identically. Everything around them disappeared; the crowds, the noise, even the lights. Then again, maybe it was just Piper who was losing the light as she felt herself slam against the marble floor.

* * *

 **As always, please let me know if you're enjoying it. If there is anything you'd like to see these two do while 11 years ahead of their time, let me know and I'll see what I can do.**

 **Thank you for reading,**

 **K**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I hope you're not all hating this. It's going a little slower than I thought, but the fun fun stuff is coming! I promise. I've also got a small explanation of the timeline that these girls are in, and I'll post that at the end of this chapter!**

* * *

Before she even really knew what had happened, Alex sprinted across the lobby, pushing past a crowd that had begun to form around Piper, who was now lying on the marble floor. "Piper," she called, her hands reaching to shove a guy who had bent down to help out of the way before reaching for the blonde's shoulders, giving a gentle shake. "Piper, wake up."

Panic set in as people began to swarm like bees to a beehive, the crowd slowly beginning to grow larger around them. "I'll call for an ambulance," one voice called from the side. "What happened?" Another concerned woman called from behind everyone else, clearly trying to get in on the action. There were hushed whispers and gasps filling the area, but Alex tried to block each different noise out. Piper was her main concern, closely followed by the fact that they weren't where they were supposed to be and one tiny slip up could mess this whole thing up. Then again, wasn't that a good thing? Maybe they'd get help in getting back to the correct year.

Alex's gentle shaking of Piper's shoulders was unrelenting as she leaned in, whispering in her girlfriend's ear, trying to entice her to open her eyes. "Come on, Piper. Don't you dare leave me to deal with this while you take a fucking nap." She Joked, trying to prove to herself that she wasn't scared. It didn't work.

Almost as if obeying Alex's words, Piper groaned, her eyes flickering open and then closing just as quickly, one hand lifting to block out the artificial lights. "What happened?" She questioned, her eyes finally opening and fixing on Alex before the shock fully began to set it as she remembered what the man had answered before she collapsed. Her breathing became rough as if struggling to get air into her lungs, all color had drained from her face, leaving her looking like a ghost. Alex's own panic set in, but she couldn't let them call for help.

"No ambulance," Alex called, waving her hand to the woman on the phone before helping Piper to sit up. "Are you alright?" She questioned, rubbing the blonde's back in an attempt to get her to calm down. She knew it wasn't the fact that she'd fainted that had caused Piper to panic, but the words one man had shouted in answer to the rhetorical question.

Piper simply shook her head as her answer to Alex's question before it fell into the palms of her hands; her knees bending into her chest as her whole body began to shake.

"You don't want an ambulance?" Alex stole a glance up, noticing that it was the manager of the hotel who was standing beside them, a shocked expression masking her features.

"No, she's okay," Alex reassured her, nodding as if to reaffirm the motion. "It was just a dizzy spell. She takes them all the time. I just need to get her out into the air."

She lied through her teeth, something Alex was so accustomed to doing without even thinking, and in situations like this - not that there were many situations where she was stuck in the future, it helped.

"Hm, we really should fill out an accident form. Just in case." The manager, a tall woman with auburn hair, pushed.

"To save your own ass?" Alex rolled her eyes, still tending to Piper who was now rocking on the spot. "Look, she's fine. She just needs air. If it helps, you fill out the damn sheet and I'll sign it when we come back in."

She watched the woman looming above her as she pondered the idea, her head tilting from side to side as she took a few deeps breaths. "Alright," she finally answered. "But we'll need you to come to reception as soon as you come back in."

Alex nodded, standing from her position on the floor. With one hand outstretched towards Piper, she helped the blonde onto her feet before wrapping one arm around her waist, helping to support her body as they made their way towards the main door. Once outside, both women paused, Piper, falling against a streetlight as Alex stood beside her, bracing to catch her once more...just in case.

"What are we going to do," Piper questioned, finally able to catch a breath and allow the words to spill past her lips.

"We're going to find somewhere to grab something to drink. You need water, Pipes."

Piper waved her hand, dismissing Alex's concerns. "I didn't mean… What are we going to do about this whole situation? How are we going to get home?"

Alex simply shrugged her shoulders, moving into rest her forehead against Piper's shoulder who in turn rested her cheek against Alex's head. "Exactly as I said," she mumbled. "We're going to get you something to drink and somewhere to sit while we think about this."

The blonde nodded, her eyes closing tightly and for what felt like an eternity, they stood there, both gathering their thoughts as the world - a foreign world in some ways, past them by. They managed to drown out the sounds of the kids playing behind them on the sidewalk with their annoying chalk markers, and the cars zooming up and down the street, honking at pedestrians who no doubt walked into the road without looking. They didn't even hear the little old lady asking if everything was okay, but when they both finally opened their eyes, she was standing there, staring at them with a puzzled look.

"Oh, we're fine," Alex said, lifting her head from Piper's shoulder. "We were just grabbing a minute to rest."

The old lady shot them another puzzled glance, nodding as if she understood to which Piper flashed her a smile. The lady took this as confirmation and wandered off, meeting up with a smaller gentleman who'd stopped a few steps further down the sidewalk.

"Come on," Piper said softly, slipping her hand into Alex's. "We're attracting too much attention here."

Alex's fingers twisted with Piper's, the familiar softness of her skin a comfort as she seemed to relax more. "Where should we go?" She questioned as they both began to move, dodging people on the streets.

"I've no idea. Do you think Karl's will still be there?"

Alex's lips twisted as she pondered the question, her shoulders lifting into a slight shrug. "I'm not sure, but is it the best idea to go there?" She wondered out loud. "I mean, we're there all the time as… well, ourselves but in another time." She stole a glance towards Piper who's hand shot up to give her eyes a rub, clearly struggling with this whole situation.

"Maybe it's not the best place to go, but it's the only one I can think of," she sighed before stealing a small glance towards Alex. "Plus, you never know what's changed in eleven years, Alex."

The dark-haired woman quirked her brow. "What, like we'll ever stop eating at Karl's?"

"I'm just saying, eleven years is a long time." Piper flashed a playful smile towards Alex, but she knew it was true. It takes an instant for one thing to change in your life and then it's like playing a game of dominos. Everything can fall based on that one moment.

Right now, well, in 2003 they were enjoying life, spending every second they could with each other; drinking in every moment possible until Alex was thrown into work. Who knows's what is held for them in the future? Piper allowed her mind to wonder as the two women walked towards their favorite diner. She'd often imagined the two of them after Alex was done with the whole Cartel thing, living life on a beach somewhere warm with plenty of cocktails and a life of luxury. She'd have a small side job just so she felt like she was doing something good - nothing big, just working in a small store, maybe a jewelry store or something quirky. That was mainly so she didn't get bored, but how could she get bored with drinking on a beach with the woman she loved? Surely by this moment in twenty-fourteen, that's what she and Alex would be doing, right?

Finally, reaching the diner, both women stopped, their eyes wide as they stood there staring at the exact same building they'd had dinner in just two nights before. It was exactly the same as they remembered, from the bright red sign with 'Karl's' emblazoned in black writing with a small cup of steaming coffee at the side, right down to the booths inside that could be seen through the windows, falling apart with their yellow foam spilling through multiple slits in the leather. Alex laughed, tugging at Piper's arm.

"Come on," she urged, pushing the door open. It still smelt the same; burgers and coffee with the sweet scent of chocolate swirling in the air. Alex took in a deep breath and stole a glance towards Piper who, although was terrified, was smiling wider than Alex had ever seen. It was almost as if this one small place in a world that simply wasn't theirs, was an anchor, holding them in some sort of reality - even if that reality was different than what they expected.

"Vause?" Both women were tugged from their thoughts as a loud voice boomed right over the almost empty diner. "Alex Vause."

They spun in the direction of the new voice, Alex's eyes growing wide when she saw Karl and then it was her own moment to panic. What if twenty-fourteen Alex and Piper had been in here lately? What if their lives were completely different and how were they going to pass themselves off as the Piper and Alex of this reality? Fuck, this was a mistake, Alex thought, her hand gripping tighter to Piper's.

"Hey Karl," Piper spoke quietly, a nervous smile twisting her lips as he nodded towards the booth they always sit in, trying not to make the fact that she was staring at how old he'd gotten so obvious. "We alright to sit down there?"

"I haven't seen you guys in what? Nine...ten years? Sit, sit!" He motioned towards the booth before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a notepad. "What can I get you, ladies?"

As the women sat, a stolen glance between them brought a smile to their lips and in unison, they both answered. "Two chocolate shakes, one cheeseburger and one fries." They both laughed as Karl shook his head, his own smile forming.

"Somethings never change, ladies. How're you getting on?"

Alex rolled her shoulders into a shrug. "We've been good," she answered, keeping it as simple as possible. "Just the usual traveling, you know?"

Karl was nodding along to her answer as he wrote down the order. "Didn't you...weren't you involved in that big court case a couple of months back?" He slipped the pen behind his ear and ripped off the sheet of paper from the notepad. "You know what one I mean, right?"

Another glance towards each other proved that both Alex and Piper were both thinking the same thing. What court case was he talking about and was this going to be how they were found out?

Shaking her head, Alex tried her best to distract him from that thought, nodding her head in the direction of the kitchen. "Is Jamie still on the grill? Can you ask him to cook the burger like he used to do?"

"With the cheese melted inside rather than on top?" Karl questioned, forgetting what he'd previously asked. "I'm sure that'll be no problem for him. I'll be right back with your shakes, ladies."

As Karl walked away, it was Piper who spoke first, the concern in her voice obvious as she grabbed a paper napkin from the dispenser. "What case was he talking about, Alex? Any why the hell haven't we eaten here in ten years?"

Alex watched as Piper began to tear the napkin into tiny pieces; something she always did when she was anxious or scared. "Like I've got an answer for that? I came from the same year as you, Piper. I've no idea what's supposed to happen after whatever we were doing before we landed here." She could feel a stabbing pain searing in her head. All this information was beginning to get too much, and she didn't know how or where to store it.

"I'm sorry. I'm just...Do you think we're still together?" Piper had leaned in closer to Alex over the table, her voice lowered to a whisper as she spoke. "Like, do you think that at this point in time, in this year you're still working for Kubra and we're still together?"

"Most likely," Alex nodded, her words falling silent when Karl returned with their drinks. Both women thanked him and watched as he turned away, heading in the direction of two other customers at the other side of the diner. "But would we be in New York? What if we walk into ourselves?"

"Then we're both going to think we're going fucking crazy," Piper answered, taking a gulp of her drink. Within seconds, her hand shot to her head, her eyes closing tight as she gritted her teeth, "Fucking brain freeze!" She cursed, pushing the tall glass away from her.

"You alright?" Alex hushed a laugh, her lips sucking in between her teeth in an attempt to stay silent.

Piper opened one eye, a grimace taking over her features as she simply shook her head in answer.

"He makes them extra frozen, remember? You always forget that."

"Shut up," Piper huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Or yours will end up on your head."

"Oh, is that right?" Alex teased, a smirk playing at her lips. "I dare you."

The blonde reached for the full glass, leaning over the table once more as she hovered it above Alex's head. "Say you're sorry."

"I'm not sorry. I laughed because your brain freeze face is cute," Alex laughed once more. "I can't help but laugh."

Piper tilted the glass until it was dangerously close to spilling but she was stopped in her tracks as Karl wandered over to the table, his brow furrowed.

"The Kubra case," he started which sent Alex's heart into overdrive. "A few months ago in Chicago. I'm sure I read your name in the newspaper." He nodded his head.

Both women stopped their joking and Piper placed the glass back down on the table.

"What happened with the case," Alex asked, trying not to make direct eye contact with the man.

"You should know, you were there."

Piper could feel her heart racing as she patted down her pants, searching for something to help them. "Hey, Alex, do you have your blackberry on you?"

"Blackberry?" Karl questioned, a puzzled look smeared upon his face. "What have you still got a blackberry for? Aren't those a little outdated?"

Once again both women panicked. Clearly, the technology in twenty-oh-three was going to be different to what they'd find in twenty-fourteen, but how were they going to know what was top of the range just now? "We need an internet cafe or something, is there one close by?"

"You guys are acting weird," Karl blurted out. "Why an internet cafe? Hold on I'll see if my son has his laptop on him."

Piper and Alex exchanged a look as Karl wandered off again, both taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm themselves down.

"Okay, we don't need to panic. Maybe it was just Kubra," Alex gulped, desperate for some air.

After a few moments, Karl returned with a laptop that was considerably smaller than the one they'd left behind. Setting the open machine down in front of Alex, Karl stepped back, curious to see why she needed the internet so urgently.

Alex stole a glance to Piper who simply shrugged. Taking a deep breath, Alex peered at the screen, searching for an icon she knew, desperately hoping it was still used.

"Internet explorer?" Karl questioned, watching over her shoulder. "You're going to regret opening that one."

Alex looked towards him, puzzled by his words. What else would she use? But she soon understood when the window took a whole five minutes to open, basically rendering the machine unusable as it seemed to freeze before her eyes. "Are they always this damn slow?" She grumped, sighing when it finally opened. Quickly, she pulled up the search engine and angled the computer away from Karl, not wanting him to see the results of her search. Typing in the words, she hit enter and an audible gasp parted her lips when she read the first headline.

 **'Drug kingpin, Kubra Balik set free due to a technicality.'**

Piper sat there, staring at her girlfriend, watching her read. "What is it?" she asked, repeating the phrase every time Alex gasped.

 **'Many members of Balik's cartel remanded in custody.'**

 **'Alex Vause back in prison after violating probation.'**

Alex read each article over in her head, trying to make sense of the words. Prison. She was in prison. Fuck, this wasn't how life was supposed to end up. The only good thing she could notice in the whole situation was no mention of Piper anywhere.

"Alex," Piper finally shouted, pulling Alex out of her daze. "What's happened?"

"Prison," Alex whispered, her head shaking slowly as she clicked on one more link.

Piper's brow furrowed, trying to work out what she meant. Did she mean that Kubra was in prison? But what did that mean for Alex? Was she free of the Cartel? Was this the beginning of their perfect life together that Piper had been imagining. Right at the beginning of the article was her name.

Alex ignored Piper who was still trying to push for answers and instead began reading the next article, but right at the beginning of the article was her name

 **'Piper Chapman, of Connecticut, back in Litchfield Penitentiary after denying all knowledge of Kubra Balik in the biggest drug case of the year.'**

"Oh no," was all that Alex could say as she glanced towards her girlfriend whose face was twisted with confusion. "Fuck."

* * *

 **Timeline -**

 **In 2003 they were just in the time before they went over to Paris where Alex learned of her mother dying and subsequently Piper leaving her. So right at the end of their relationship. Of course, they don't know this and they're still in happy happy land! (Let's keep them there for longer...maybe.)**

 **In 2014, we're in the early summer, just before Piper's birthday and Alex has just gone back into Prison after violating probation with the gun.**

 **Just thought I'd add that in incase it was confusing for anyone with the timelines and where they are in their lives.**

 **I hope you're all still enjoying, and please, let me know if you are or aren't and if you want me to change anything.**

 **Thanks,**

 **K**


End file.
